Russia has expressed its hopes to increase arms exports to several Arab countries, Middle East News Online (MENO) reported.

Russian officials and executives were quoted by the news service as saying that “this will be the goal during a planned tour by President Vladimir Putin to the Middle East later this year.”

The officials added that, Putin is already raising the prospect of Russian arms sales during his current talks with Arab envoys from Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria.

Moscow, envisions defense partnerships with several Middle East countries over the next three years.

Boris Kuzyk, director of New Programs and Concepts, a leading defense holding company, said these include Iran, Egypt, Algeria and Syria. Kuzyk told a news conference in Moscow that such partnerships could help bolster Russia's annual arms exports to $4.5 billion over the next few years, an increase of 25 percent, it added.

Russia reported arms exports of $3.68 billion in 2000. Russia still trails Britain and the United States – Albawaba.com